The Wolves Are Among Us
by Dobby's Angel is at Hogwarts
Summary: Skylar Cox is a normal girl, living out her days in boredom. Her parents up and move, taking her with them to California. The first day she starts school is when everything takes a turn. A mysterious boy named Ryder Williams gives her all his attention. After her seventeenth birthday, he growls the word "Mate," and she finds out she's not human. And that the wolves are among them.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! New story here! I've deleted the other story that was called _The Wolf Within_ so I hope you enjoy this one more. This one even has a better plot line than the last. Hope you enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

I groaned as I roll over onto my side, slightly opening my eyes to see sunlight streaming in through my window. I instantly snapped my eyes shut, unable to keep my eyes from being blinded by the bright light. The constant beeping of my alarm clock then tore through my half-asleep state, startling me into wakefulness. I gazed up at it, seeing 6:30 AM written in bold, red letters on the digital screen.

I let out a breath through my nose, ripping the white sheets from my body and crawling out of bed. Slamming my hand down on the snooze button, I reluctantly turned away from the bed that was calling me back to it and headed into my bathroom.

I quickly went through my morning routine, which consisted of showering and brushing my teeth. After I was done in the bathroom, I trudged back into my room, the towel wrapped firmly around my torso. I sluggishly stopped in front of my walk-in closet, deciding on what to wear for today. I finally decided on dark, stonewashed jeans and a simple, baby blue button up.

I quickly changed into matching undergarments before slipping on my clothes and applying some make-up in front of my mirror. I slipped on black sneakers, grabbed my backpack, and made my way slowly down the stairs and into the kitchen.

As soon as I walked in, I smelt bacon sizzling in the frying pan and coffee brewing in the pot. I smiled as I walked up behind my mother and snatched a piece of already cooked bacon.

"Thanks, Mom!" I said, biting into it. She turned and looked at me, frustration written clearly on her face. "Oh, I hope you don't mind." I tried to hold in my smirk, but the corner of my mouth twitched up into one anyway.

Annoyance flashed across her face. "You know how I feel about this, Skylar." Uh oh. She never uses my full name.

I furrowed my brows as I stopped chewing and stared at her. "What's going on?" I asked slowly, afraid to find out the answer. "You never call me Skylar. Only when you're upset or angry." I set the bacon back down and crossed my arms over my chest, waiting for her to dump the unwanted answer on me.

And the penny drops.

I groaned in annoyance. "Mom!" I whined, rolling my head back. "Didn't I already tell you I don't want to move?" She just looked at me pointedly. "Yeah, I know," I snapped, glaring at her. "It's not my decision to make." I turned away from her and gathered my things to leave for school. "Whatever," I muttered to myself, stomping out the front door.

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><p>Ten minutes later, I pulled into the schools parking lot, my mind running over my list of classes I have for the day. I parked the car in the nearest parking space and climbed out, grabbing my bag as I do so, and made my way to the front doors of the school.<p>

My best friend, Mason, came up to walk beside me, flinging his arm around my shoulders. "Hey, Pipsqueak," he said, grinning down at me. I smiled at the use of my nickname before wrapping an arm around his waist. "So, I was thinking, maybe this weekend we could go out to the laser center."

I started to grin, but then my face immediately fell and I froze. "Um, about that," I sighed, looking up at him. He looked down, meeting my gaze. "My parents are deciding to move." I paused before continuing. "I think we're moving before then by the way my mother talked about it this morning."

Disappointment flashed across his eyes as he frowned. "So, you're leaving me behind?" His voice was filled with sadness and I had to swallow the growing lump in my throat. I nodded sadly, looking away for I was no longer able to meet his gaze. "Oh…" He trailed off, and I knew he wouldn't say any more. I pulled away from him and headed inside, making my way to first period.

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><p>After the school day was over, I begrudgingly made my way home. I took my time, taking the longer route this time, and went the speed limit- which was something I never did. I wanted to take as long as I could to get to my house. I didn't want to speed up the moving process any more.<p>

It was about thirty minutes later when I finally pulled into my driveway. I climbed out of the car, slowly making my way inside. I went straight up the stairs and into my room, not wanting to face my mother. But I knew I'd have to confront her sometime.

There was a knock at my door and my mother poked her head inside.

Or I could confront her now.

I sighed warily and went into my closet, pulling out my two suitcases that sat on the top shelf. I dragged them out and tossed them onto my bed before facing my mother. "Yes?" I growled, crossing my arms over my chest. "Were you here to tell me to start packing because we're leaving as soon as possible?" The look on my mother's face showed her guilt. "Well," I huffed, turning back to my closet, "There's no need. I'm already on it."

I started pulling clothes off hangars and lugging them to my bed. After about ten minutes, all the clothes that were neatly hung in my closet were now in a very unorderly heap on my bed. I started folding the articles of clothing and placing them in an orderly fashion inside of the first suitcase until it was full. Then, I started filling the second one.

Soon, I had stuffed as much as I could into each suitcase; I set them by my door. The pile that remained on my bed was still considerably large. I ran my fingers through my blonde locks, huffing as I glanced at my dresser. It was then that I realized that I owned way too many clothes.

_Maybe I could give some to charity,_ I thought placing the leftover clothes in boxes that had shown up in my room while I was gone. While sorting through them, I found a few that didn't fit, or didn't appeal to me anymore, so I tossed them to the side. _I'll make sure to take them over to the donation center soon. _

I continued to put away all the clothes until my bed had obtained its normality again. Sighing, I flopped backwards onto my bed, burying my face in my hands. Moving was something I hoped I'd never have to do, but my parents had to crush that as soon as they could. I didn't even know where we were moving to. I at least deserve to know that much.

Tossing my hands to the side, I stared at my white ceiling, laying unmoving until my mother called me down for dinner. Groaning, I stood up and left my room, casting a glance over my shoulder at all the boxes and my suitcases. I bit my lip before continuing down the hall. Bounding down the stairs, I entered the kitchen to see the table piled with all my favorite foods.

They're trying to bribe me. Well, that makes me feel loads better. Not.

My father pulled out a chair for me to sit in and I gladly took the seat, placing my hands on top of the table. My mother joined us soon after and smiled at me, her eyes twinkling. All I could do was glare at the table, trying to suppress a groan.

After a few moments of silence, I piled food onto my plate, ignoring my mother's cries of protest. I'm not one for saying Grace and she knows that.

I quietly ate my food while listening to my parents chat about the town we were moving to. According to my mother, it sounded nice. It was a medium sized town, so I would be able to easily navigate it. But the thing that irked me the most?

It was all the way across the country.

We currently live in Charlotte, North Carolina. The place we're moving to? Ventura, California.

"Great," I mumbled, shoveling another forkful of meat into my mouth. "Just what I want."

I quickly cleared my plate of all food and excused myself from the table. I ran upstairs and shut myself into my room, unable to face my parents until tomorrow, which was moving day.

I glanced at the clock on my night stand, which read 8:00 PM. I slipped out of my day clothes, and threw on some pajama pants and a tank top before sliding into bed. The blankets, however, remained at the bottom of the bed, not coming up to hug my body due to the unbearably hot weather of North Carolina.

I made sure my cell phone was plugged in and charging before turning to face my wall. Thoughts about this new town plowed through my mind, not letting me fall asleep. Some thoughts about the new house went through my mind as well, and I couldn't help but wonder what it looked like.

Shrugging my shoulders, I closed my eyes, waiting for sleep to sweep my away. After awhile, I fell into a dreamless sleep.

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><p>My blaring alarm startled me awake and I sat up abruptly, my eyes wide as I took in my room. Everything from yesterday came rushing back to me, and I flopped back down, blowing the hair out of my face.<p>

I silently climbed out of bed, but failed to notice the sheets wrapped around my feet. The tangled mess around my ankles caused me to pitch forward, slamming into my carpeted floor with an _oof._

Climbing back to my feet, I untangled myself from the killer sheets and headed into the bathroom. After my morning routine, I grabbed the clothes I had set out and slipped into them, tossing my nightclothes into my hamper.

A knock on my door had me turn, and I saw my father standing in the doorway. His eyes held regret. He knew I didn't want to move, but was doing it anyway.

"We should start loading up your stuff into the truck," he said, taking a step into my room. "That way we can set off before lunch."

I took a step away from him and looked down, nodding. "Okay. Just let me finish packing my stuff. It shouldn't take long." My ruffled blonde hair fell around my face, so I brushed it away, wrapping it up into a messy bun. "If you want, you can start taking those boxes down." I pointed to the boxes that were already full.

He nodded and complied, picking up two boxes and heading downstairs. "I'll be back for more."

I didn't pay any more attention to him, just turned away to my desk, dragging a box behind me. I emptied the draws out one by one, shoving all the folders, books, and other things into the box. I pushed that box aside and grabbed another, heading to my dresser.

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><p>About an hour later, I had pretty much everything packed up, including the framed pictures of me and my friends. I sat down on the end of my stripped bed, hands in my lap, while staring at the floor.<p>

I could only think of what the town would be like, how the people at the school would treat me. That was the thought that worried me the most. Would I be the new student that everyone took an instant liking to? Or would I be that new student that everyone decided to bully just for the fun of it?

The last thought caused a shiver to run up my spine.

I stood up, dragging my bookbag and handbag with me, making my way downstairs. I followed my parents out to the driveway, where the moving truck and our cars sat. I climbed into my car, and pulled out, following my dad who drove the truck. My mom followed me out in her car, and soon, we were on the highway, heading out west.

This was going to be one hell of a long drive.

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><p><strong>Well, I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! And I hope you're eager for more! Love ya, darlings!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Chapter two of TWAAU here! I hope you enjoy it as I enjoyed writing it! Sorry that this chapter isn't as long as the last, but oh well! :) Hope you enjoy! R&R!**

**Chapter Two**

After being on the road for eight hours, my father decided to pull off the highway and into the parking lot of a hotel. I quickly parked my car and scrambled to get out, sighing as I felt the cramping muscles in my body ease out. Stretching, I looked around, taking in the bright lights of the city around us. Having no idea where we were, I looked around for some sort of sign that would help me out. There were none.

Sighing, I grabbed my bookbag and handbag, following my mother and father into the hotel while pressing the lock button on my car keys. My father and I waited in the sitting room while my mother got us a hotel room.

A few minutes later, she appeared, holding a keycard, and motioned for us to follow her. I begrudgingly stood up- that chair was hella comfy- and quickly jogged after my parents.

After climbing into the elevator and waiting for it to take us to the third floor, we finally found our room. I bid my parents a goodnight, climbed into bed, and passed out like there was no tomorrow.

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><p>Around seven o'clock in the morning, we gathered our things and left the hotel, speeding off towards Ventura. That day, we drove twelve hours, stopping for food and to use the bathroom. We eventually made our way to another hotel and then left when five o'clock in the morning came.<p>

Eighteen hours later we finally made it to Ventura, California. After another thirty minutes, we eased to a stop outside of our new house.

All I could think was: _Holy mother of God. That house is huge._

I climbed out of the car, gawking at the magnificent house that stood, towering, in front of me. It seemed to be basking in all of its mansion glory. This three-story house seemed to be a bit much for a family of three.

Once I fully climbed out of the car, multiple people came pouring out of the house and I couldn't help the scream of shock that escaped my parted lips. "What—What—What the _hell_ are all these people doing in our house?" I demanded, rounding on my parents. I caught the smile on my mother's face before it disappeared. "Well?"

A loud clang of metal sounded from behind the truck and I turned to see the back slide open. My dad's head poked around the corner. "They're our friends. They live here, too."

My gaze hardened. "And you never thought to tell me this?" I growled, crossing my arms over my chest, looking back at the group of people that had gathered in front of the large house.

My dad shrugged, turning to resume opening the truck. "Well, I thought you wouldn't mind, especially because most of my friends have teenage boys around your age."

I lost him at teenage boys. I instantly grabbed my things and raced into the house while yelling over my shoulder, "Whatever room I end up in is mine!" which was followed with bouts of laughter from the gathered group outside.

I ran up the first set of stairs I saw, emerging onto the second floor with wide eyes. The hall was wide, and not to mention long, so it seemed to run on forever. At the end of the hallway was a set of double doors, each wooden and white like the hall around it. One of the two doors opened and a tall guy stepped out, who seemed to be around my age.

"Hey!" I called, trying to get his attention. "Hey, which rooms are unoccupied?" I strolled towards him as he froze. The guy stared at me for a while which, to be honest, was kind of unnerving. A few minutes passed and he hadn't answered me, so I awkwardly waved. "Yeah. Hi. I'm sure you've checked me out long enough. Can you tell me which rooms are unoccupied?"

That seemed to snap him out of his stupor. "Oh, um, yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. "There's three rooms upstairs that are open. The biggest one is at the end of the hall." I grinned as he added on that last part. I didn't even know this guy, but he already knew what I was thinking.

Saying my thanks, I sprinted up the stairs, taking two at a time, and emerged, breathless, onto the landing. Two doors at the very end of the hall caught my attention and I immediately made my way two them. Once there, I rested my hands on each golden handle, taking a breath as I gripped the cool metal. After a few more moments, I pushed down on the handles, and the doors swung in.

The only thing I seemed to be able to do was stand in the doorway and gape at the incredibly large room that opened up in front of me. The one object in that room that really captured my attention was the king sized bed that sat in the center of the room against the wall. The duvet was fluffy, white, and oh-so-inviting.

I strode across the soft carpet to the four-poster bed and ran my hand across the smooth surface of the duvet, relishing in the fact that this was so totally going to be my room. Setting my bags on the floor at the foot of the bed, I turned, planning to explore more, when there was a knock on the doorframe. Looking over my shoulder, I saw my mother standing there, eyes wandering around the room, and she set down the two boxes she had in her hands.

"I take it," she started, pushing the boxes towards me with her foot," that this is going to be your room?"

I nodded vigorously, joining my mom in looking around the room. "Definitely."

Other than the bed, the room was decorated with a large dresser that sat along the right wall, a tall mirror placed on top. A desk was placed on the other side of the room, a new-looking laptop resting on its surface. There were two doors, on beside the desk, and the other beside the dresser.

With curiosity getting the best of me, I opened the one beside the dresser first and found a large walk-in closet, almost like the one I had at my old house. On the back of the door was a full-length mirror. Next came the other door. I found out that, that was the bathroom for the bedroom, and I was so ready to use that amazing looking shower.

Ending my search, I finally decided to bring the rest of my things up.

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><p>That night, I flopped tiredly onto the four-poster bed, letting out a huff of air that blew the stray locks of hair out of my face. My legs hung off the side of the bed and the cool air flowed around them, causing Goosebumps to appear on my skin. Shivering, I jumped up and entered the now full closet, digging through the drawers to find my pajamas.<p>

After changing, I tossed my clothes into my hamper, and climbed under the covers of the bed after turning out the light. I lay there, staring up at the ceiling in the dark, wondering what the next day would bring for me. These past two days weren't that eventful, but I had a feeling that this upcoming week would be filled with interesting adventure.

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><p><strong>Okay! So I hope that was interesting enough for you to hold you off until I post the next chapter! Love ya guys! :)<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! Chapter three is here to stay! Hope you enjoy the chapter! :) Make sure to review!**

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><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

The next morning I was up and ready by seven, so I made my way down to the kitchen. I was somewhat surprised that I didn't get lost in the big ass house, but I guess it was just luck.

I managed to choke down some orange juice and bacon before I headed out to my car and made my way to the school. I drove slowly as I was unfamiliar with the roads. With living in a city for all my life, I wasn't used to all the winding back roads where deer jump out in front of you in random intervals. Well, looks like I'll have to get used to it.

Once I reached the parking lot, I slowly drove around, trying to find an open parking space. Spotting one, I quickly pulled in and parked the car, scrambling for my bookbag and hopping out of the car. Locking my vehicle, I made my way to the entrance of the school, feeling heat travel up my neck and into my face as I felt multiple gazes settle on my moving figure.

I picked up my pace, not wanting to be stared at any longer, and pushed open the doors, searching out the hallway for the office. Finally spotting it, I hastily made my way into the room, walking up to the desk where the secretary was perched behind it.

I cleared my throat, placing my hands on the counter top. "Excuse me?" I asked, peering over the counter.

The stout woman looked up, a smile instantly lighting up her young-looking face. "Hello. How may I help you?"

I swallowed and gave her a smile of my own before answering. "I'm new here. The name's Skylar. Uh, Skylar Cox."

"Ah, yes," she said, instantly turning and digging through a file. She pulled a piece of paper out of the manilla folder, whipped around, and handed it to me. "Here's your schedule and…a map of the school." She added on, handing me another paper.

I glanced down, taking in the classes that were printed on the paper that now took up the residence of my hand. My eyes skimmed back up to the top of the list, landing on the class I had first period. I mentally groaned.

English.

The downfall of my entire high school career.

The one and only reason I failed to graduate the first time.

I slowly found my way to the English room, after getting lost about three times, and knocked on the door that stood slightly ajar. The noise in the room settled down immediately as the door opened to reveal a man in his late-thirties, and a class of about twenty people. All of their eyes were settled on me, and, being the usual shy person I am around strangers, I look down, my eyes tracing the lines of the tiled floor.

"You must be the new student," the teacher said, looking down on me with blue, calculating eyes. I nodded slowly, bringing my gaze up to meet his eyes. "Well, come on in, then." He stepped out of the way, motioning for me to enter the room and I did so hesitantly. Curse my natural shyness. "Class, this is our new student. May I introduce to you, Skylar Cox?"

I stood beside the tall teacher and gave a small wave and smile to the class, scanning each of their faces. Each of their countenances held curiosity that traced their features as they took in all of what stood before them: me.

After Mr. What's-His-Name pointed me to an empty seat, I made my way there, stepping over bookbags and dodging around any feet that flew out to try and trip me. Once there, I threw my bookbag on the floor beside the desk and slid into the seat, brushing my blonde hair behind my ears. I could still feel the gaze of the people nearest to me burning into my skin, so, wrestling up my courage that I use every other minute, I sent each of them one of my famous cold, hard glares.

Each of the students turned away, but one continued to stare. Looking him right in the eyes, I spoke, my voice full of annoyance. "Don't you know it's rude to stare?" I asked, lifting my chin as his gaze darkened. "I'm guessing your mother didn't teach you manners."

When I said that, he stiffened and many of the kids in the classroom gasped. It was like no one ever dared to speak out against this guy.

His eyes seemed to be growing darker the longer I held his stare, so I looked down, feeling an annoyingly prominent urge to submit. As I turned away, I heard him let out a huffy laugh and I could almost imagine the smirk that would be spread across his face. Peaking at him from the corner of my eye, I saw I was correct. But, he also had a look of fond adoration on his face. Confused as to why, I turned back to face him once more.

"Is there something you need to tell me?" I tilted my head to the side, my eyes tracing the features of his face.

He raised an eyebrow, the adoration vanishing to be replaced by mild amusement. "No," he said, his voice surprisingly deep…and seemingly sexy. "Why would you think that?"

As he continued speaking, the vibrations of his voice sent shivers down my spine, and I tried hard to suppress it, but failed. His smirk returned. "The look on your face-" I paused and swallowed. "-when you were looking on me. It's like you were in awe of me or something."

The amusement vanished as quickly as it had come to be replaced with all seriousness. "Because I am," he whispered, only loud enough for me to hear. Butterflies erupted in my stomach upon hearing those three simple words. As to why, I had no idea. Then, he spoke again, louder this time. "I'm Ryder Williams."

He stuck a hand out for me to shake and I took it hesitantly. It was warm and calloused, and seemed to fit with my hand perfectly. "Skylar Cox." It was a simple enough introduction, but for him, I guess it wasn't enough.

"Where are you from, Skylar?" He asked, curiosity outlining each and every word. Ryder smiled genuinely and seemed to physically relax as he realized I wasn't going to snap at him again.

"N-North Carolina. Charlotte to be exact." I looked down at my fiddling hands, feeling a blush burning up my neck.

Ryder chuckled lightly. "Wow. Big city girl." He stopped and I could hear him scratching something- his chin, probably. "What're you doing all the way over here in Ventura?"

I shrugged, letting out a sigh. "Honestly?" I looked back up, meeting his green-eyed gaze. "I have no idea."

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><p>A loud, resounding sound snapped me out of my half-asleep state, and I looked up to see the students in the art room streaming out of the door as the bell continued to ring for a few more seconds. Sluggishly gathering my things, I headed out the door, slowly making my way to the lunchroom where everyone seemed to be heading.<p>

Once I was in the doorway, I froze, taking in the sight before me. The cafeteria was huge, bigger than the one back at my old school. It was almost like a sea of different colors. Shrugging off the surprise that radiated through my body at the massive amount of students, I wound around the tables, searching for one that was empty. After a minute or so of searching, I found one near the back of the cafeteria, next to the large windows that let the sunlight fill the large room.

I pulled one of the black, plastic chairs out, sliding into it and setting my bookbag on the table. Zipping open the bag, I grabbed my packed lunch and dug in.

After a few minutes of eating my chips in silence, my lonesomeness was interrupted when someone pulled out the chair across from me and plopped down in the seat; a few more people did the same. I looked around, noticing that a few guys and a couple girls now surrounded me. All seemed to be nice, but I still didn't like the way they were looking at me.

My eyes landed on one of the girls, who was dressed in a cheerleading uniform. Her strawberry-blonde almost brown hair was tied up into a pony-tail, finished off with a black and gold bow. When she saw me looking, she gave me a warm-hearted smile, and I internally relaxed. _At least the cheerleaders here are nice._

Someone sat next to me, pulling my attention away from the cheerleader. It was Ryder. He reached over and draped an arm around my shoulders, causing a slight blush to emerge on my cheeks. Why my body reacted to him this way, I had no idea.

The guy across from me reached out his hand, as Ryder had a few hours ago in first period. "Hi. My name's Clayton," he introduced himself, smiling as his hand hovered in the air. When he realized I wasn't going to take it, he pulled it away and set it back on the table. "So, Ryder told us you're from North Carolina?"

The corners of my mouth twitched at the thought of Ryder talking about me. "That's right," I agreed, taking a long sip of my Sprite. Clayton muttered a 'cool' as I unwrapped my subway sub that my mother had bought me the night before. "Were you all born here?"

"Nope!" Came a cheery, accented voice from the head of the table. I looked over to see the cheerleader, her eyes twinkling. "I'm Kaila," she informed, giving a small wave before scooting her chair forward towards the table, making her hair bounce. "I was born over in the UK."

I grinned. "That's awesome!" I took a bite from the sub, and, realizing how hungry I was, finished it all within a few minutes. We all chatted through lunch until the bell rang, signaling it was time to head back to class. "I'll see you guys later!" I called, heading towards Pre-Calc and Trig.

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><p><strong>I hope you guys liked it! :) Make sure to review and tell me what you think! <strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys. New chapter here. Hope you enjoy reading it. And don't forget to review at the end! I like them reviews! :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

After the school bell rang, signaling the end of the day, I headed out of the school to the parking lot, my eyes scanning for the familiar blue of my car. Spotting the sleek surface of my Dodge Dart, I made my way over to it, groping for the keys that were hiding somewhere in my backpack. My fingers finally brushed the cool, specially cut metal of my keys, and I ripped them out of the bag, jamming my finger down on the unlock button. The lights of the car flashed and I heard the locks automatically unlock with a muffled _click_.

I hurriedly opened the back door, tossing my bookbag in, and watching as it slid off the seat to land on the floor of the car with a dull _thump_. Sighing, I rolled my eyes and slammed the door shut before climbing into the driver's seat, shoving the key into the ignition, starting the car and putting my seatbelt on at the same time.

I eventually made it back to the mansion, and when I pulled into the drive, I was confused as to how I got there. My mind had been on Ryder the whole drive home, and it was a wonder how I drove without even paying attention.

Mindlessly climbing out of my car, I slung my bag over my shoulder and made my way through the front door, up the two flights of stairs, and to my room. I still couldn't get over how large the room I chose was. I tossed my bookbag down beside my desk, listening as the four-poster bed called my name. Casting a regretful glance at the soft duvet, I made a silent promise to go to bed early that night before exiting the room into the hallway.

A figure at the end of the hall standing in front of the window at the end caught my attention. "Ryder?" I asked, confused, as I grew closer. My brows furrowed as the figure turned, revealing Ryder's familiar green eyes. "What are you doing here?"

The smile that stretched across his face when he saw me almost made my heart melt. "Skylar," he breathed, taking a step towards me. "I should ask _you_ what you're doing here? This _is_ my house." He let out a chuckle, running a hand through his hair.

I couldn't help the small smile that graced my lips. "I kind of live here, too." I looked down, my cheeks heating up slightly. "My parents and I moved here, like-" I tossed a hand towards the wall. "-two days ago. You weren't in the large group that came to greet us?"

Ryder shook his head, shoving his hands into his jeans pockets. "No, I was in my office. I have no where to sleep, though, because it seems that someone-" He playfully glared at me. "-Took my room."

My mouth dropped open, and the red reappeared on my cheeks. "Oh my God. I'm so sorry! I didn't- someone…someone told me that it was open, that no one stayed in it!"

He tilted his head to the side, his face forming a thoughtful look. "Was this a guy? Tall, dark skinned?" I nodded and Ryder grinned. "That was Paul. He always does that to new pa-" He cut himself off, clearing his throat, and redirected the sentence. "Residences."

I gave him a strange look while nodding slowly. "Right," I drawled, stepping around him and heading for the stairs. "Well, I'll move my stuff to a different room later. I'm gonna-"

Ryder cut me off. "No, you don't have to. We can share."

That made me turn around and raise an eyebrow, weirded out by the mere thought of sharing a room with Ryder Williams. "Are you serious?" I let out a breathy laugh. "I've known you for a day and we aren't even dating-" A hint of hurt flashed across his eyes. "-or whatever. I'll move my things later."

With that said, I jogged the few feet to the stairs and propelled down them, my feet pounding on the wooden, oak stairs. As I rounded the corner at the bottom of the stairs, I heard Ryder call after me. "Just have the room!"

That made a ghost of a smile appear on my face.

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><p>That night as evening rolled around, I found myself exiting the tree line I had found to see a large, open crack in the earth. As I walked closer, I could hear the roaring of rushing water far below the edge. I drew closer, and felt the first few drops of rain land on my skin. Soon, it was a steady pour. The gorge in front of me held my attention as the water roared louder, and I continued on, making the distance between the forest and me bigger.<p>

I warily shuffled closer to the sudden drop off as it grew nearer, peering over the lip of the sheer rock walls that surrounded the churning river a hundred feet below as I slowly grew closer to the crumbling edge. My right foot dangled over the drop momentarily before I quickly pulled it back, feeling my heart leap into my throat as the ground gave way where my foot was hovering just moments before. The pouring rain had caused the ground to grow loose around the edge of the gorge.

Scrambling backwards away from the loose ground, with my heart still in my throat, I collapsed onto the wet grass, landing heavily on my rear, watching with wide eyes as more of the land plummeted into the rocky waters below. I heard a faint splash as the detached earth landed in the fast-moving river.

My pounding heart was still slowing down by the time my mind registered that I was a safe distance away from the cliff that was falling apart. My bottom was now soaking wet, as well as the rest of my body, from the steady downpour and from the soaked ground. My shaking hands groped at the grass, clinging to the sturdy earth underneath me. I quickly scrambled to my feet, dashing back into the woods and finding my way back to the mansion.

I walked through the back door, shaking and cold with chattering teeth, to be greeted by warmth and the smell of garlic bread. I tried to hold in the moan of pleasure as the warmth swept over my cold body because my eyes locked with green ones. And a smile that would light up any girl's world spread across Ryder's face.

Never had I thought that I could make a guy see me and grin as wide as he could. Never.

I wrapped my arms around myself, rubbing my arms to help warm them up, while walking farther into the kitchen, leaving a trail of water droplets behind me. My mother strode in, stopping when she saw my appearance. She shook her head, obviously not caring why I was soaking wet, as I had returned like this many times before in North Carolina when it would pour. After taking in my appearance once more, she left, returning a few minutes later with a bath towel in her hands.

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><p><strong>Alrighty then! Well, that was kinda interesting and boring at the same time. At least to me it was. Sorry about that. But, I still hope you liked it anyway! Make sure to review!<strong>


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